Obituary for Fannie Grace Cline Collins

Fannie Grace Cline Collins passed away Thursday, April 26, 2018 at Highland Ridge Rehabilitation Center.  The long wait is over and she now joins her Lord and Savior and her precious loving husband, Landon Jay Collins who died September 15, 2004.  Fannie was born in Pulaski October 5, 1923 to John Adam and Fannie Kate Blevins Cline, now deceased.  She was always working since old enough having lived through the “Greatest Generation”, poor but proud of her German heritage traced back to the 16^th century.  She was also preceded in death by brother, Adam Russell Cline and four half-sisters, Hallie Jones, Alice Pack, Susan Cain and Nannie Corvin, a sister-in-law, Willa Mae Bryson Cline.  She is survived by one special nephew, Denver Russell Cline and his children of Greenville, SC, Adam Ryan Cline and Micayla Lynn Cline, and one great great niece, Amara Cline.  Also surviving are Jay’s, niece, Judy McNutt Thompson of Knoxville, TN, her children Robin Buchanan, Roger Thompson, II, and Stacy Hilliard and their children Ellie Buchanan, Sam Buchanan, and Caroline Hilliard, a great niece, Jennifer DelBagno, Atlanta, GA, and her husband Jeff, and their son Jeffrey.  Judy was like the daughter they always wanted.  Also survived by Jay’s family members who always were so good to her, Connie Collins Tate and her husband David of Florida, Alvin Collins of Richmond, Sam McNutt, Sr. of Lexington, SC., Dorothy Palmer, and daughters of half-sister Hallie Jones and her children, Kathi Surber and Susie Melvin who are also very special to Fannie.  Also survived by several half-nieces and nephews and cousins and many friends who helped to make her later years pleasant, along with Jennifer DelBagno, Atlanta, GA, and her husband Jeff, and their son Jeffrey.  She would like to pay tribute to the person who cared for her and she also considered as a daughter, Juanita Sue Dalton, her daughters Shelia Dalton and Patricia Jones and all the Dalton Family.  Life would have been more difficult had it not been for them.  She also would give thanks to her friends Edwin and Linda McDonald and to Todd Bruce, who was like a son, and his wife Tracie their son Michael, and their daughter Ellie for always being there.  Fannie graduated from Pulaski High School class of 1942 and from Felt and Terrant Business School, Richmond, VA.  She was a lifelong member of Memorial Baptist Church, where she loved her church and church family and was active until her health failed.  She was a 50 plus member with Evansham Chapter #97 Order of the Eastern Star in Wytheville, and also served on the state and national levels.  She was a member of the former Business and Professional Women’s Club, a Shrine Lady in the N.R.V. with her husband Jay.  She was a volunteer at Lewis Gale Hospital – Pulaski, was active at the Train Museum until it burned, and very interested in the building of it’s new structure.  Fannie had several jobs during her lifetime, and left each with a good life experience.  Her last two jobs were with Signet Bank (now Wells Fargo), where she retired at age 62.  Realizing that work was all she knew while missing the workforce, she returned to work part-time at Charter Federal (now National Bank) for 9 years retiring again at age 75.  In addition to her work, the thing she enjoyed most rewarding was working together over the years with her husband Jay.  Having had no children of their own, they had such a binding union through which they reached many goals and dreams of which they had and so much from along the way.  They traveled to so many places in their retirement, especially Jay’s 80^th birthday in Hawaii, and their 50^th anniversary to Europe to visit places Jay had served during W.W.II.  Life was always good, sometimes shaky financially, but blessings always abundant.  Their last endeavor together was the purchase of the Willow Apartments and they spent many happy times and had fun remodeling and improving the property, which always gave them a sense of pride.  Funeral services will be held at Seagle Funeral Home on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. with a period of visitation two hours before the service.  Interment will follow at Highland Memory Gardens beside her beloved Jay.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Memorial Baptist Church in memory of Fannie.  Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.seaglefuneralhome.com   Arrangements by Seagle Funeral Home, Pulaski.